Caspian Secures $5.4M Seed for AI Global Trade Advisory

Caspian, an AI-driven customs compliance startup, secured $5.4 million in seed funding for its AI trade advisory platform. Primary Venture Partners led the round. Blank Ventures also provided major investment. The San Francisco-based company publicly launched from stealth, unveiling its duty drawback product.

Caspian's AI trade advisory platform automates duty drawback and trade advisory services. Businesses often leave billions in unclaimed import duties due to complex, paper-intensive processes. Consequently, over 90% of eligible companies do not apply for refunds. Thus, Caspian addresses this issue.

Streamlining Global Trade with AI

The platform ingests and analyzes international shipping and inventory data. It identifies eligible duty refunds and submits claims within days, not months. This replaces traditional email chains and spreadsheets. Specifically, its data analytics capabilities streamline the process.

Caspian is a CBP-approved tech company. It also holds a U.S. customs broker license.

This differentiator allows Caspian to file claims directly with U.S. Customs. Furthermore, it partners with large enterprises, customs brokers, and freight forwarders. This augments their existing trade advisory work.

Founders Justin Sherlock and Matt Ebeweber established Caspian in 2024. Their background includes scaling Flexport. The company focuses on financial visibility and business growth, unlike prior global trade management software. This new approach therefore enhances trade compliance efforts.

This financial technology solution automates services more completely than existing consultants. It cuts costs and boosts bottom lines for e-commerce, manufacturing, and retail clients. Ultimately, Caspian aims to be the leading AI trade advisory platform.